BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.3
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Georgian restaurant owners have offered a five-point plan to PM Giorgi Gakharia to save the hospitality sector, Trend reports via Georgian media.
The government of Georgia has imposed further restrictions starting November 28 to January 31 to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country. Restaurants and other food facilities have fully moved to takeaway services which include takeaway, delivery, and drive.
According to the restaurant owners, these measures damage their businesses and it is hard for them to work only on takeaway and still fulfill their other financial obligations.
The five-point plan includes the following measures:
- reimbursement of 50 percent of the salaries of employees in the industry by the state over the course of the next two months;
- for the state to guarantee the issuance of loans from financial institutions operating in Georgia for both legal entities and individuals working in the hospitality field; for the state to guarantee the receipt of long-term, low-interest loans for restaurants, with zero-interest loans within the next two-month lockdown period, which will be used to repay employees' salaries;
- reduce the VAT rate for the hospitality industry for one year;
- establish a grace period for all types of utility bills for legal entities working in the hospitality sector;
- to extend the income tax subsidy program for one year.
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